We’re not fake! - Spare parts dealers reply Bawumia

The leadership of National Concerned Spare Parts Dealers Association (NCSPDA) at Abossey Okai in Accra have called on the public to disregard a recent statement by Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, suggesting that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rented “fake spare parts dealers” to protest against the Akufo-Addo administration for failing to lessen their plights.

According to them, Dr Bawumia indicated that the protests came from the fake spare parts dealers association that the NDC formed, adding that “but thankfully the real spare parts dealers association has rejected their claims and exposed them as fake spare parts dealers.”

Speaking at the 4th National Policy Summit in Tamale, Northern Region, last Monday the vice president said that the government had abolished import duties on spare parts, a move that has been hailed by the genuine dealers.

“The real spare parts dealers who exposed the NDC’s rented spare parts dealers thanked the government for helping their businesses.

But in an interview with Today yesterday over the issue, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NCSPDA, Mr Takyi Addo, on behalf of the association, expressed misgivings about the conduct of Dr Bawumia to label them as rented, non-existence and fake association, saying that the vice president was not being fair to them.

“We are not fake members of the spare parts dealers, our membership is known nationwide and we are surprised that Dr Bawumia has soon forgotten his recent meeting he held with the members of National Spare Parts Dealers Association (NSPDA) including members of NCSPDA with the aim to reaffirm that the government has abolished import duties on spare parts.

“…So now he has turned back to call us fake rented spare parts dealers association, the right time is coming and we shall tell him and his NPP government whether we are fake or not,” the PRO warmed.

According to Mr Takyi, those flying statements by the vice president were just propagandist with evil intent, and stressed the need for Dr Bawumia to render an apology to them or else they would advise themselves.

He maintained that the Concerned Spare Parts Dealers Association exists in Ghana and must therefore be taken seriously.

He also denied the assertion by the vice president that the association was a politically motivated society seeking to do the bidding of the opposition NDC.

Mr Takyi reaffirmed that they can no longer contain the hardship under the current administration following the imposition of several taxes through the backdoor making life unbearable for them.

He reiterated that they were suffering and things were not going the way President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo promised them.

He wondered why the current administration increased VAT adding that, that had affected the prices of the items “we import into the country.”

He maintained that when they compare former President John Dramani Mahama-led National Democratic Congress to the current President Akufo-Addo New Patriotic Party government in connection to their spare parts business, they could see that the former was far better.